The White House National Security Council facilitated a two-day virtual event for the International Counter-Ransomware Initiative that kicked off Oct. 13 and Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology and a two-time Wash100 Award winner, said the event addressed four elements of the fight against ransomware.
“It focused on uniting law enforcement efforts, uniting efforts to trace illicit use of cryptocurrency, and it focused on building resilience, and deepening diplomatic partnership to ensure that norms around addressing ransomware activity from within borders are fully implemented,” Neuberger said of the event during the Washington Forum Press Center’s virtual briefing Friday.
More than 30 countries participated in the event and she said the nations highlighted the importance of cooperation among international partners to improve information exchange.
“Because ransomware criminals often repeat their activities, repeat their tactics and techniques, more robust and real-time communication across governments can not only enhance national capabilities to address a ransomware attack while it’s happening, but can also potentially prevent an attack,” Neuberger told journalists.
She cited the importance of establishing a network of countries to counter a network of ransomware actors and its infrastructure and noted that participating countries mentioned the need for capacity building around resilience, law enforcement, information exchange, blockchain analysis and tracing of virtual currencies.
ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.